How Long Does It Take?

How Long Will it Take to Build My Home?

Because our program involves homeowner participation, the answer to this to a great degree depends on the homeowner. When the homeowner follows the instructions he/she receives, and monitors the schedule, the build time will be about 120-140 days. This can be a bit slower in winter months due to bad weather, or if you are building an entirely custom home.

If a homeowner doesn’t follow the schedule, then it can take considerably longer. Here are some examples of two common problems that can slow your project down:

Power:

Many homeowners don’t realize that there are two important aspects of getting power to a site: temporary and permanent power (Please read the article on this here)
Both of these take a certain amount of time to get arranged. It is important that you know of important deadlines for each

Temporary Power pole must be installed at the site before we will order the foundation to be poured.

Permanent Power must be in place by the time we order sheetrock. For the reasons why, please read the above referenced article.

A homeowner who is ahead of the game will complete their application for permanent power and arrange for the temporary power pole to be installed at the same time they are getting their application for their building permit.

Excavation & Backfill:

Unfortunately people sometimes underestimate the importance of a good excavator. Many people have a friend or relative who knows how to operate heavy equipment and as a result they think that they can do the work for them and thus save money. However, good excavation involves a lot more that just digging a hole in the ground for a foundation. If the ground is not excavated properly, then it could involve having to get the excavator back out to correct his errors, or having a very sloppy job done. Both of these add time and additional cost to the project. For example, if the ground is not very flat, then when the forms for the footings are put down, concrete can gush out underneath the forms, which results in waste and additional cost for you, the homeowner.

Experience has also shown that when homeowners hire cheap excavators, it almost invariably results in shoddy workmanship, additional cost and wasted time. True Built Home has a list of excavators that we and our homeowners have previously worked with who know what they’re doing and experience has shown can do the job right.

Decks and Flatwork:

Any additional decking per your plan, or concrete work, including sidewalks, driveways or steps from the outside or from the garage leading into the house must typically be in place before the house can receive final approval. Your project manager will let you know when these things should be arranged for. By being proactive, you can avoid unnecessary delays.

Paint:

The homeowner paints the house unless they contract us to do it. If you choose to do it yourself, then we will let you know well in advance so you can arrange for the painting to be done. Once the walls are ready for you to paint we really cannot continue with the trim and finishes until the paint is dry. And the exterior paint must be done before we can order the final inspection (in some cases, your lender may allow you to move in before the exterior painting is done due to weather conditions). So this is another area where, by being proactive, you can avoid unnecessary delays.

Of course, we’re not perfect and we will on occasion make mistakes. However, we do home building for a living and as a result we have a streamlined home construction system that much more often than not is ahead of schedule.

So for these reasons and others, we encourage you to follow the recommendations that your True Built Home representative gives you. If you do, then you can expect your home to be completed in 120 days or less.